State Legislature

Mike Parry now and then: needing, wanting and bonding along the Stagecoach Trail

Posted in Minnesota Women Writers, Minnesota legislature, Politics, Rural development, Sally Jo Sorensen, State Legislature, Transportation on February 17th, 2010 by Sally Jo Sorensen – Be the first to comment
26Parry On the campaign trail Mike Parry supported term limits, and said upon being sworn in, said one of his first bills would address term limits:
It is the first day of session and Republican Sen. Mike Parry's footsteps are still echoing down the halls of the capitol building, but he is already thinking of limiting his potential political career in St. Paul. Parry was elected as the senator for District 26 just two weeks ago during the special election that ensued after six-term Republican Sen. Dick Day resigned on Dec. 8, 2009 to take up a career as a lobbyist. Parry carried the election with 43.04 percent of the vote, compared to 36.5 percent for DFLer Jason Engbrecht and 20.32 percent for Independence Party candidate Roy Srp. One of the first bills Parry plans to write will deal with term limits — if he has his way, each legislator will be confined to just three terms.
He has dropped seven bills in the hopper, most of which are bonding projects: More...

Painful cuts in local government aid hit greater Minnesota in T-Paw budget

Posted in Cities, Counties, Minnesota Women Writers, Minnesota legislature, Politics, Rural development, Sally Jo Sorensen, State Legislature, Towns, University, education on February 15th, 2010 by Sally Jo Sorensen – Be the first to comment
Snowplow Governor Tim Pawlenty pulled off the presidential campaign trail long enough to deliver a state budget today. The Star Tribune reports in Pawlenty unveils deep cuts to balance the budget:
Gov. Tim Pawlenty presented a supplemental budget Monday morning that outlines how he wants to erase a $1.2 billion state budget deficit. Aid to cities, counties and health and human services took the deepest cuts in Pawlenty's proposal. The governor, who is in his last year in office, pledged to protect programs for the military, veterans, public safety and money for K-12 classroom education. According to the governor's office, the budget proposal cuts $250 million from aids to local units of government; $347 million from health and human service programs; $47 million from higher education funding, and $181 million from state agencies and other programs. . . .
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